Oroville is the county seat of Butte County, California. The population was 15,506 at the 2010 census, up from 13,004 at the 2000 census. The Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians of California is headquartered here.

The town of Gridley was named after its founder and earliest landowner, George W. Gridley. He was born in the state of New York and later moved with his parents to Galena, Illinois. In 1850, he attempted to drive sheep and cattle across the plains to California. He lost the animals, but arrived safely himself and settled in this area.

Butte County, located in Northern California. Its southern border is approximately 55 miles north of the State’s capital in Sacramento. The county is situated on the eastern side of the Sacramento Valley, extending from the Sacramento River, on its western border, east into the foothills and western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

#59 Murals, Murals, on the Wall

You don’t have to be an art lover to enjoy the many murals on the CSUC campus and in Chico’s downtown area. All you need is a sense of fun.

For a bit of Chico history, don’t miss Scott Teeple’s rendering of John and Annie Bidwell on Second Street on the wall facing the art deco building.

Commemorating the 1937 filming of “The Adventures of Robin Hood” in Bidwell Park is the mural on Campus Bikes at Main/Fourth. There you’ll find Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest One of the newer murals in Chico is Languages Houses, which is on Mid Valley Title’s parking lot wall at Sixth and Main. It features six Victorian homes.

If you have children, be sure and checkout the murals inside the kids section at In Motion Fitness. They give an awesome vision of life Under the Sea.

We’re especially fond of the doubleheader New York cityscapes inside and outside at Brooklyn Bridge Bagel Works, and one that tugs at our heartstrings is Giacomo’s Vineyard inside the Sicilian Cafe because Giacomo’s (James’) grandparents immigrated to America from Sicily in the 1950’s, and many of the recipes still used in the restaurant are theirs. The mural serves as a warm tribute to their heritage. There’s more, and they’re all fun to view. Pick up a map at the Visitor Center at Fifth and Main. Then go on your own mural treasure hunt and choose your favorite!